A real community,
not a chat forum
Discord gives you a place to hang out. Swarm gives you a real community experience, with everything you need to monetize it.
The short Version
Swarm vs Discord: at a glance
What's your community actually for: learning or hanging out? That decides which platform fits. Here's an honest side-by-side comparison.
Discord
Swarm
Starting price
$0
From $19/month
Community
Text channels, threads that auto-archive after 3 days by default, and forum channels
Video, voice and text in every thread, in topic hubs that stay organized
Courses
Not available
Complete course experience focused on community-led learning
Live events
Voice and Stage channels
Natively or external link
Branded app
Not available
From $149/month
White Label
Not available
From $149/month
Best for
Free, fast-moving communities that hang out in real time
Coaches and creators who want a complete community platform, with everything to monetize it
Swarm is the platform of choice for world-class communities
Why creators look for a Discord alternative
Want more than a chat forum
Discord is a place to chat and hang out, in real time. It has no built-in courses or learning tools, and what members share scrolls away. Creators and coaches who want a real community experience look for a complete platform.
Want to monetize without stitching tools together
Discord's Server Subscriptions cover a monthly paywall, with a 10% platform fee and only for US-based creators. Courses, events and a store mean other tools, so monetizing usually means stitching several together. Creators look for one platform with everything built in.
Premium experience for members
Your community lives in Discord's app. Creators who want their own branded app, white label and a polished learning experience look for a platform that allows them to builded branded community spaces.
What Makes Swarm Different
More than a community platform. A connection engine.
A complete community. Everything to monetize it. A premium experience.
The problem we were built to solve
90%
of members never post
47%
churn within 6 months
3–15%
course completion rate
How we solve it
On Discord, text channels scroll away in real time, so what members need later gets buried unless you set up forum channels and tags.
On Swarm, video, voice and text work together in one thread, so members can record a video reply, leave a voice note or type, on their own time. Everything stays organized, nothing gets lost.
Discord is for the friendly hangouts. Swarm is what you pay for when community is the business.
When to pick each platform?
When you should pick Discord
- Your community is mainly for hanging out in real time: Discord is built for fast-moving chat, voice and screen sharing, so members can talk all day.
- You run large live voice or video events: Voice and video channels and Stage channels for up to 10,000 listeners suit big live conversations.
- You don't want to monetize your community: If you want your community to be free and don't intend to monetize it, you can run a community for free on Discord. With Swarm, you get the complete community experience with tools to monetize it, starting at just $19/month.
When you should pick Swarm
- If your teaching is visual, demonstration-based or personal: Swarm puts video at the centre of teaching and connection, so you show up with real presence at scale. It’s ideal for skills-based coaches in dance, fitness or music, and for personal work like life coaching or mindset.
- You want a complete community platform, not a chat forum: Spaces, topic hubs, courses, events and discussion are built around the community, with video, voice and text in every thread.
- Your community is for learning, not just hanging out: Courses, discussion hubs and video homework keep members learning together, in one space.
DON'T TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT
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Common Questions
Got questions? We've got answers.
Is Swarm better than Discord?
Does Swarm have a branded app and white label?
Does Swarm have quizzes and certificates?
How much does Swarm cost?
Can you charge for a Discord server?
Can I use my own domain?
Do members need to use video?
Is Swarm for coaches?
Can I sell digital products on Swarm?
Build a community with real depth, connection, and revenue. 14-day free trial, no credit card required.